College prices rise along with discontent

Student Zack Hernandez, 17, left, has a discussion with Denise Aguilar, Career Technician/Scholarship Coordinator, about financial aide and scholarships that universities and colleges offer, inside the Career Center at Mission Oak High School.(Photo: Steve R. Fujimoto)

$612. That's how much tuition at University of California schools could be raised next year alone under a newly adopted UC Board of Regents plan.

Under the plan the amount could hike up another $2,000 — to $15,564 per academic year — by 2019.

The board of regents on Nov. 20 approved the proposal, which can increase tuition up to 5 percent each year over the next five years.

The plan was approved despite an uproar and protests statewide from students across the UC system and from government officials, including Gov. Jerry Brown.

Despite Tulare County being roughly 100 miles from the nearest UC campus, locals aren't too happy with skyrocketing tuition prices which have more than doubled since 2004.

"I think it's pretty unfair," said Mission Oak High School senior Zackary Hernandez, who plans on attending a UC school next fall. "I look across the nation and especially in Europe, where education is $2,000 and the rest is covered by the government."

The 17-year-old has plans on studying at UC Los Angeles or UC Berkeley and said public college prices are already too costly to be raised any more.

Hernandez said his sister, a UC Berkeley freshman, was also unhappy with the increases and participated in protests against the hikes at her campus.

According to the University of California, in Fall 2014, 7 percent of incoming freshmen at the nine UC campuses were from the Central Valley — which includes Tulare, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced and 10 other counties. And three percent of transfer students to the campuses are from Central Valley counties.

Forty-four College of the Sequoias students went on to transfer to UC schools in 2013 among 846 transferring students. And at Porterville College in 2013, 13 students who received their associate degrees went on to UCs.

Of the class of 2013, 14 students went to UCs from Golden West High School, about 15 from Mission Oak and about 12 from Tulare Union.

Local high school counselors seem to agree they are seeing steadily more students wishing to pursue higher education at a four-year school.

"I see them more interested, which is surprising," said Terry Langlie, Tulare Union High School's head counselor. "When I moved here in the '80s, no one wanted to be a school boy. … I don't know if it's TV or media and how they make college look fun. The middle class is disappearing and the middle ground of getting technical training is not as big."

A bill to kill tuition increase

According to a UC spokesperson, tuition hikes imposed under the adopted plan would assist with employee pay and pensions, higher student enrollment and the hiring of more faculty.

And the tuition hike will be put in place next year unless one demand is met.

The hike could be stopped if the UC system were to receive an additional $100 million from the state's 2015-16 budget, which goes to lawmakers for approval June 2015.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill, SB 15, that would meet the UC's demand and is intended to eliminate the tuition hike.

The plan would make more classes available at both UCs and California State University schools. It would also provide more support services to students and increase UC and CSU enrollment.

The bill, authored by Senate Leader Kevin de León, would provide $156 million from the 2015-16 state budget to the UC and CSU systems and would also be funded by charging out-of-state students a higher tuition amount and by canceling the Middle Class Scholarship, which was first introduced to students and their families in the fall.

The scholarship provided additional funding for students whose families' annual incomes were up to $150,000.

Under the proposed bill, students awarded with the scholarship this year would continue to receive the funding, but no new students could receive the funds.

Higher education worth the debt?

Student debt has quickly been rising across the country. Earlier in the year, student loan debt hit $1.1 trillion in the United States, with 11 percent of loans in default or behind in payment by 90 days or more.

"Within the last six years … the economy has been rough," said Tulare Union High School counselor Langlie. "Salaries aren't going up but tuition has gone up 300 percent over a number of years. It's difficult for people to pay for schools when salaries aren't adjusting."

When asked how much is too much before college is no longer worth the rising costs to students, Langlie said any student can still afford to go to college if they want to.

"Here's what I tell people about college," he said. "It makes you more hire-able. It gives more education, more options. It's not for everyone. … There's no guarantee you'll get a job — no guarantee, but it does increase the odds."

If the tuition hikes do go into affect, Denise Aguilar, a Mission Oak High School career technician, said it'll hit the middle class most intensely. But she said no student should let college prices lead their decisions on what to do with their lives.

"Never let money be the reason you don't go to school," Aguilar said she tells students. "The worst-case scenario, take out loan. Pay for it once you're in a position to."

Both counselors said they encourage students to look at all available options.

Attending a community college before transferring to a four-year school cuts down college costs and Langlie said private schools are always an option.

Though tuition is usually much higher at private schools, he said, the schools offer more scholarships because they receive more private donations than public schools.

Local high school students can also take up to six units each semester for free at COS, he said.

Hernandez said he won't let hefty tuition prices crush his goal of attending a UC school.

The high school senior said he's always been told by his family not to let money kill a dream.